Electric receptacle



F. T. SPARLING ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE March 5, 1935.

Filed Feb. 18, 1952 I! 4 V///////# i @E gg Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE Frank T. Sparling, Glendale, Calif. v Application February 18, 1932, Serial No. 593,843

1 Claim. 01. 247-15) This invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in electric receptacles.

. The primary object of the invention is to provide an electricreceptacle having a tubular case member carried thereby adapted to be inserted into an opening in a base board or the like for direct engagement with a pipe conduit or BX tubing and thereby eliminate expensive installation comprising the chiseling and cutting of openings in base boards with the mounting of the electric receptacle in an outlet or junction box and the usual face plate, the head or cover of the electric receptacle being of greater diameter than the case and constituting a face plate for the receptacle.

It is a further object of the invention toprovide an electric receptacle of the foregoing character in whichthe tubular case may be removed and oppositely disposed supporting ears substituted therefor when it is desired to use the receptacle as a replacement in an outlet or junction box, with the receptacle and ears disposed inwardly of the usual coverplate of the junction box,'it being also understood that in any special installation where it is desired to use a face plate, the supporting ears and tubular casing may constitute parts of the assembly.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the electric receptacle with the lateral supporting cars attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing both the ears and easing attached to the receptacle;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the receptacle with the cover removed and fragmentarily illustrating the supporting ears, the electric contacts being in position in the receptacle;

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 1, showing the interlocking connectionbetween the receptacle and casing, the screw connection between the receptacle and cover and the screw connection between the receptacle and lateral supporting arms;

Figure 5 is a top plan View of the cover removed from the casing;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the Figure 7 is a top plan view, similarto Figure 6 showing the contacts removed from the receptacle; V

Figure 8"is a vertical cross-sectionalview of the receptacle;

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the casing detached from the receptacle;

Figure 10 is a developed plan view of one of t reference character 15 designates'the electric receptacle in the form of a cylindrical installation block having an annular recess 16in its upper side surrounded by an annular flange 17. extending outwardly of the annular body of the receptacle 15 as shown in Figure 8. An axially disposed threaded opening 18 is provided in the receptacle 15 to receive an attaching screw for a cover and said receptacle at opposite sides of the opening 18 is provided with a-slott'ed opening 19 extending therethrough for the reception of the blade of an electric contact. An outer side groove 20 is formed in the receptacle 15 outwardly of each slotted opening 19, terminating at a point spaced from the lower end of the receptacle to define an abutment shoulder 21 while the upper end of the recess 20 opens into the annular recess 16 at the upper side of the receptacle and inwardly of the flange 17. The flange 17 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite openings 22 aligned with the slotted openings 19 for the attachment of supporting ears for purposes presently to be described. The

opposite side faces of the receptacle 15 between the slotted openings 19 have relatively large openings 23 therein for the passage of conductor wires that are engaged with terminal screws threaded into openings 24 in the receptacle.

An electric contact as shown in Figures 4, l0 and 11 comprises a terminal end 25 and a side blade portion 26 reversely bent as at 26c and 26b with the portion 26a transversely corrugated as at 260. The terminal end 25 of the contact is provided with an opening 27 which registers with one of the openings 24 in the receptacle when the portion 26a is introduced into the associated slotted opening 19 as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the contact being retained'in position by a terminal screw 28 to which one of the lead-in wires is connected.

A cover 29 of insulation material is provided for the receptacle 15, the cover carrying a depending annular flange 30 engaged with the outer edge of the flange 17 outwardly of the opening 22 and forming a space between the cover and receptacle. The cover 29 has slotted openings 29a that register with the slotted openings 19 in the electric receptacle. A central apertured boss 31 engages with the receptacle 15 and through which boss the attaching screw 32 extends that is adapted to screw into the opening 18 in the receptacle 15.. A pair of tapering bosses 33 depend from the receptacle cover 29 and are engaged respectively with the spaced terminal ends 25 as shown in Figure 4 to aid the attaching screws 28 in retaining the terminal ends in position.

For certain installations of the electric receptacle, the same carries a tubularcase 341preferably formed. of Shelby steel that is interlockingly engaged with the lower end of the receptacle, projecting beyond the receptacle with the projecting end thereof internally threaded as at 35. The receptacle 34 as shown in Figures 4 and 9 is diametrically cut away at its upper edge as at 36 for purposes presently to appear, while struckout fingers 37 are formed in the side walls of the case 34 below the cut-away portion 36 to have their lower free ends interlockingly engaged with the abutment shoulder 21 of the side recesses 20 in the receptacle 15. With the case 34 mounted upon the receptacle 15, the usual cutting and chiseling of a base board or the like for the installation of the receptacle may be eliminated, it only being necessary to bore a hole in the base board and insert the case therein to have threaded engagement with a pipe conduit or the like for electric wires, the usual face plate of the outlet plug being eliminated, the annular flange 17 upon the receptacle being engaged with the outer face of the base board around the hole for the case to limit inward movement of the latter through the base board.

, In replacement, where it is desired to mount the electric receptacle in an outlet or junction box employinga face plate, the tubular case 34 may be eliminated and the lateral supporting arms for the receptacle shown in Figures 1, 2 and 12 employed. Each arm 38 has an offset outer end 39 for attachment to a bracket in an outlet or junction box with its inner end cut away at opposite corners to provide a central tongue 40 and side angle ears 41. The inner end of the arm 38 has a tongue 40 positioned in the upper end of the side recess 20 in the receptacle 1,5 with the side ears 41 engaging the outer annular wall oi the receptacle, the arms 38 being retained in position on the receptacle by screws 42 passed through the openings 22 in the flange 1'7 and through the opening 43 in the inner end of the arm 38, the connection between the receptacle and arm being shown more clearly in Figure 4. In certain installations, it may be desired to employ both the lateral supporting arm 38 and the tubular case 34 and the assembly embodying these elements is shown in Figures 1 to 4.

From the above detailed description of the invention, itis believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:-

An electric receptacle including a cylindrical body of insulating material and having a flange at its upper end, and a cylindrical metallic pipe coupling fitted on said body and secured thereto with its upper end bearing against the under side of the flange and its. lower end projecting below the body and internally threaded for engagement by the threaded end of a conduit pipe, said pipe coupling being provided with oppositely disposed notches in its upper edge, and attaching bars having their inner ends seated in said notches and projecting oppositely from said body and secured thereto.

FRANK T. SPARLING. 

